Justice & Institutions
Choosing the judges
Elected politicians should hold the majority on the committee that appoints judges.
Nine people appoint Israel's judges: three justices, two ministers, two MKs, two lawyers. A Supreme Court seat needs seven of the nine.
What is at stake
Nine people choose Israel's judges: three Supreme Court justices, two ministers, two members of the Knesset and two lawyers. A Supreme Court seat needs seven of the nine, so no bloc appoints alone. A 2025 amendment changed how the two lawyers are designated.
The case for
- In most democracies an elected government appoints judges and parliament confirms them. Sitting judges do not choose their successors.
- A court that reviews the government should not also hold the deciding vote on who sits on it.
- Citizens live under these rulings. The representatives they elect should answer for who writes them.
The case against
- The Court rules on the state's own conduct, on criminal cases against politicians, and on election disputes.
- If the coalition controls appointments, it picks the people who will judge it.
- The seven-of-nine threshold forces compromise candidates. That is what keeps the bench credible with both camps.
Both sides get the same number of points at comparable length. That is a rule of this site, not a coincidence.
What the next Knesset could decide
The next Knesset can amend Basic Law: The Judiciary again — change the committee's composition, lower the seven-of-nine threshold, or repeal the 2025 amendment. It is a standard item in coalition agreements.